China has been under heat by many U.S politicians, but what do Chinese citizens think of them?
I asked my friend, Liz, who studied abroad in the Fall of 2019 in Shanghai, China what her experiences were like as an American. She participated in the business program her university offered and was required to have an internship and to be taking business courses during her time there.
Why did you decide to study abroad in China?
As a finance major, I feel like China is a global leader of business, so I felt like it would be the best experience for my career goals. All of the big banks have headquarters in China and I wanted to increase my knowledge and connections abroad.
What is the political climate like?
China has a Communist political structure but I find it funny that its constitution states that it is a democracy, which isn’t true since their leaders are not voted by the people.
Do the Chinese seem to have an opinion on the United States election? What seems to be the general consensus if there is one?
When I was there, the election was not as relevant as it is right now, but President Donald Trump was in office. I found that people would come up and make fun of me because I was an American and Trump is my President. They honestly look at our leaders (specifically President Trump) as a joke, which made me feel embarrassed to be an American. In the U.S., there is a rhetoric that we are the best country in the world, that we are the strongest and the most powerful. I feel like because of our current President, the Chinese view us as nothing other than a joke.
I hope that whoever we elect in the coming election will represent us well globally. I feel lucky to be an American citizen and I want us to do well as a country. I hope that we elect a leader who will help us achieve this sentiment both domestically and internationally.
